Attention and comprehension in very large screen displays

This is a completed project.

Description

In this project we are looking at particular aspects of how large screens have fundamentally changed the way audiences interact with and consume digital content. The results of the research will enable a better understanding of the challenges and frustrations that content producers and audiences face when working with new display surfaces, enhance the way we interact with information, and provide a real world environment to deploy new technology and rapidly changing thinking about content for large screen displays.

The scale of the projection for this project will allow multiple people to have personal access to the resulting behaviour of the content. A ‘global’ version using the abstract quality of the cinematic work can stretch across the screen, but when a visitor gets close enough for full body gesture recognition (kinects) to begin registering their shape, a ‘local’ form of interaction can begin to be presented. From a complete movie experience in front of the visitor, to a still image or floating text, the interaction can begin to be used to reflow the story.

With the amount of time it has taken to receive equipment and set it up within the space, not to mention the stumbling blocks due to the multiple kinects (bandwidth and programming issues) this project is just beginning to be explored for what kind of content can be developed for the space. More work is needed to find how people interact with the space, how close they try to get to it, whether they are content to watch or if they delve into discovering the interactions.

Work explored so far has included interactive forms and behaviours, wide angle panoramas of movies (180 degrees), closeup photography and looping high definition video.

Images and Videos

Partners

AITF – NSERC – SMART Technologies – SurfNet – ACADACAD has contributed all the equipment for this project to date.